Assuming he doesn't use a router, he could just run a simple DHCP server on a computer. The router would be a good way to go though since it comes with a DHCP server built in.

Let's assume you get an 8-port switch. You can use one of the 4 LAN ports on the router for the switch and still have 3 extra ports to connect a computer to on the router. 8+3 = 11 ports. Some routers allow you to disable the WAN port and use it as a LAN port, with would mean you'd have 12 available ports to use for LAN gaming.

This is on top of the fact that you can use the wireless on the router, if it has wireless, to access the LAN. I'm not sure about the amount of data transfer for wireless though, it could result in laggy gaming, but for small LAN gaming it should be fine.

Dude just connect all of the computers to the same network and start opening game sessions and just play...it is really simple. If all the computers are connected to the same network then you should be set for LAN Gaming, unless your firewall is misconfigured or blocking incoming connections.

Dude just connect all of the computers to the same network and start opening game sessions and just play...it is really simple. If all the computers are connected to the same network then you should be set for LAN Gaming, unless your firewall is misconfigured or blocking incoming connections.

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Yeah, I thought was like that too. But I can tell you, no one will be to happy if I tell them to that I'm missing something. YAY, now we can move our 30 pound computers again for nothing!

Me and a few guys want to do some LAN Gaming but we don't know where to start. Somehow I ended up getting stuck with getting the info...

1. I need a Switch right? If I'm looking at the right stuff would this do?
2. I have a D-Link router, could I plug that in to get a few more ports?
3. Would this cable get good speeds?

Thanks!

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1. 2 people can use a single cable and with modern stuff it should not even need to be a crossover cable however I do not suggest this unless you would otherwise have to use wifi.
A switch, a hub* and a router are essentially the same thing as far as you are concerned.
*hubs are generally slower but this seems to have been forgotten of late.
I will also mention that many gaming grade motherboard feature multiple network ports and even without that you can use firewire (it is at least 400Mbps after all) and wireless if you lack ports and bridge connections to various things. Most network games started out as online games and the speeds they require are less than wireless B (11Mbps).

2. Yes but to assign addresses to the computers on a network you can either set them manually or use a DCHP server (invariably built into the switch/router). This means to daisy chain such devices you need to disable all of the DCHP servers bar one or you will end up with conflicts ranging from people not being able to join to the entire network deciding to crash. A good device will see if there is another DCHP server online when powering up but do not count on it, you will probably end up leaving your DSL router to do DCHP as phone companies like to lock them down something serious (such devices are the cause in about 90% of my network dramas).
You can even disable all of them if you want to go all manual for some reason, most network games feature broadcast lobbies and it is not hard to find out an IP address (command prompt and type ipconfig for windows machines) for the few that do not, I mention this as vista stock settings can cause issues and you need to type an IP in manually.

3. Nowadays cheap cable is OK for one off things although I tend to avoid it for anything mission critical or more long term. If you do more digging you will come across the terms cat5, cat5e and cat6. The following article should clear it all uphttp://ezinearticles.com/?CAT5-vs-CAT5E-vs...6&id=322715
I will mention that you could probably score cable about as cheap as that in the real world without the hassle of DX shipping times.